Week 1 and 2:

We often look to the end results when determining the progress and achievements of our fitness goals. By focusing on goal setting and measurement at the start, we can set ourselves up for long-term success.

Sometimes it can be difficult to stay motivated if we are not enjoying our activities. The best way to resuscitate your fitness plan is to make it fun! If you don’t enjoy running, don’t make this a resolution. Try UBC Recreation’s Free Week to discover what gets you excited and raring to work out.

Week 3: Go high tech

With the number of apps, YouTube videos and open-sourced fitness classes available, there are countless low and no-cost ways to stay active. Try one of Fitness Blender’s new workouts, like this “Pain in the Abs” core workout:

Or download a fresh new app like Aaptiv that offers personalized and narrated training programs that you can do indoor or outdoor, including walking, running, elliptical, biking, yoga and more. Please note that Aaptiv requires in-app purchases. For free workout options, try the Nike Training App or Sworkit.

This Month’s Feature:

Grand opening of the UBC Aquatic Centre

To celebrate the grand opening of the UBC Aquatic Centre, UBC Athletics and Recreation is making a big splash with special events from March 1-5, 2017. Join in for fun, food, giveaways and aquatics programming in this bright, inclusive facility.

Other Events and Activities

Ongoing: Yoga and Pilates for Staff and Faculty at the Alumni Centre

Get stronger this spring by attending free yoga and Pilates classes with your colleagues.

Join us on Wednesday mornings (from 7:30-8:20 am) for some Pilates stretching and strengthening.
Visit on Fridays (from 12:05-12:50 pm) for yoga classes.

These classes will increase your strength and flexibility, and they are free for all UBC faculty and staff. Please bring your own yoga mat. Both classes are held on the 2nd floor in the Bill & Risa Levine Classroom. See you there!

March 6-17: Limited Number of Diabetes Assessments

Were you unable to attend the Travelling Health Fair? The UBC Pharmacists Clinic will be offering a limited number of additional Diabetes Assessments. Contact the Pharmacists Clinic at 604-827-2584 to reserve your spot today!

Get your 2017 race season up and running with one of BC’s largest and longest-running triathlons. With a wide variety of distances – Olympic, Sprint and Short – as well as a Duathlon, Relay, Kids/Youth Aquathlon and Kids “Splash, Peddle and Dash,” there really is something for everyone! Learn more and register here.

Save the Date and Ready Your Team for Staff & Faculty Sports Day on May 5, 2017. This is a free event for all staff and faculty members, as well as graduate students. Come and enjoy a Free Lunch, some fun teamwork games and celebrate the end of the school year!

PhDs Go Public events spotlight PhD students from UBC’s Public Scholars Initiative, who use the PechaKucha format to share how their research is contributing to the public good and making a change in the world. This year’s themes include education, environment, culture, social justice and health. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for updates!

Michel Tremblay’s two-act play, first produced in 1968, against the backdrop of Quebec’s quiet revolution, changed Quebec theatre, with its kitchen-sink representation of ordinary women speaking in their own dialect.

March 26: Storm the Wall Community Festival

Come celebrate the 39-year-old UBC tradition that is Storm the Wall at the third annual Community Festival. This year’s theme: Superheroes! The popular event includes UBC Summer Camps prizes and giveaways with a chance at a freeweek at camp, live in-person superheroes, a European Bungee, face painting, games and activities, balloon art and so much more! Check out the Facebook Event for more information.

Come by for a night at the museum! Every month, the museum will stay open late, offering family-friendly activities with admission by donation between 5:00-8:30 pm.. On Dec. 15, join us to learn more about northern animal species.

UBC Bodyworks Fitness Centre will be offering a new $2 drop-in rate to all staff and faculty! This offer is available starting Jan. 4, Monday to Friday 1pm – 4pm. Drop by and check out their facilities, or take part in their Free Weeks: Jan. 9- 21, 2017.

Mark your calendar for the 11th annual Walkabout starting Jan. 16! Walkabout is an annual nine-week health and wellbeing challenge promoting regular exercise in social settings. Everyone at UBC ( staff, faculty, students, alumni and the community) is invited to join with their teams of five to achieve personal and team goals. If you want to join but don’t have a team, no problem! You will be matched with other participants. Everyone who registered or is interested is also invited to attend the Walkabout Kick-Off on January 11 from 12:00 – 1:30pm. Visit www.walkabout.educ.ubc.ca for more information, registration, and event dates.

If you are a UBC Sun Life group benefit plan member, click on a link below, download the app using promo code UBCsun1 and receive additional reward points. Promo code is for personal use only.

If you are a UBC employee but not a member of the Sun Life group benefit plan, you can also participate. Click on a link below, download the app using promo code UBCsun2 and receive additional points. Promo code is for personal use only.

Already using the Carrot Rewards App? You can still use the promo codes to receive your bonus reward points. Simply click on “Account” at the bottom right-hand side of your Carrot Reward App and hit “Enter a bonus code” to enter the appropriate promo code.

UBC Recreation is running a free lunch-hour Faculty and Staff Volleyball program at the SRC, Wednesdays 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Sign up now to join the league in the New Year! Drop-ins are also welcome with valid staff/faculty ID card.

September is a hectic time of year, which can make it challenging to stay active. Competing demands on our time, financial obligations and fatigue are among some of the reasons that contribute to a decline in our fitness habits.

Here are some ideas for fitting a little fitness into your day, without breaking the bank, as you kick off the new school year:

Week 1: Take advantage of Free Week!

Try out as many classes as you want on campus from both UBC Recreation (Sept. 12-18) and Bodyworks Fitness centre (Sept. 6-17) totally free. Provides a great opportunity to try new classes while exploring different campus fitness locations.

People who commute to work and school by bus, bike, or foot tend to be more active in their day, and have more positive lifestyle attributes [Source]. Look for opportunities to build more walking into your day. Park on the top level of the parkade, get off the bus 1-2 stops early, or cycle to your meeting across campus. Or try taking the stairs to your classroom or office.

UBC has a wide variety of corporate health and fitness discount partners to help you fit in your fitness without taking too much out of your wallet. Be sure to check back as the list is updated and expanded regularly.

Week 4: Book time with a workout buddy

Scheduling your active time with a buddy is a great way to stay accountable to yourself and your health and fitness goals. Join a running group, sign up for a class with a friend, or share your goals with someone who will provide encouragement and support.

UBC based events and activities:

This May, the David Suzuki Foundation is challenging people around the world to join the 30×30 Challenge by spending 30 minutes a day in nature for 30 days. The goal: to reconnect human beings with nature for the sake of their health and mental wellbeing.

Bring a friend and join Bodyworks for a free trial of popular fitness classes! Come as many times as you like between May 2-7. Registration is also open for the Spring/Summer Term. Click here to view the spring 2016 brochure.

Do you work at or near VGH? Activate yourself this summer with lunchtime fitness classes. Taught by certified instructors and offered Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer. Sign up for strength based full body workouts, combo yoga-pilates classes or both! (Cost: $230/32 classes; $120/16 classes; $85/10 drop-in classes)

UBC Recreation Free Week is a chance for staff, faculty, students and the general public to try out any instructor-led classes in the Student Recreation Centre and Ponderosa Commons Studio. Drop-in to fitness, yoga, pilates, dance, martial arts, and boot camps for free. No experience is required, so try the classes out and register for your favourites! Full listings available here.

Our health and our work are interdependent. In view of changing demographics, work and labour markets, and social contexts, the key challenges to be addressed in work and health research and practice will be discussed. Join Dr. Ute Bültmann, University of Groningen, Netherlands for this public talk.

Difficult conversations come with leadership positions, and being able to navigate such conversations effectively is crucial to both personal and organizational success. Explore the reasons for fear and discomfort and learn strategies to manage emotional conversations by blending the application of skills, tools, knowledge and self-awareness. (Cost: $275)

This fun and interactive workshop will get you ready for Bike to Work Week, providing useful tips for cyclists of all abilities, from new riders to those who already bike to work. Certified instructors will discuss bike safety scenarios, taking bikes on transit, route planning, what to wear/carry, and much more.

Pizza will be served, so invite your colleagues and register today! Register to sc.program@ubc.ca to reserve your space.

The UBC Staff Pension Plan (SPP) Pension Fair will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. Whether you are new to UBC, or have been part of the Staff Pension Plan for years, the Pension Fair is a great opportunity for you to learn more about your pension plan and gain some pension knowledge. There will be a variety of information tables for members to visit and learn more about the Plan as well as other retirement benefits and services. Visit the SPP Pension Fair event website for details on the venue, information tables, what kinds of questions you may want to ask, and more. No need to register!

UBC’s Health, Wellbeing and Benefits team has a great line up of free activities and events coming your way this spring. Sign up today for programs including Staff & Faculty Sports Day, CAMMPUS, Group Fitness Classes, Dr. Thara Vayali’s Debunking Diet Series, Ergonomics, Communications Lecture, and plenty more!

Learn how changing communication can shift the world around you. Presented by Melissa Ruckmick, Communications Specialist and Professional Speaker, participants will learn how Melissa’s fascinating and current research can connect you to your senses through higher levels of communication. Find out how your internal dialogue can shift to become more positive, offering new perspectives and insights about the world around you. For more information and to register, click here.

Join us for Part 3 of Healthy UBC’s Diet Health series with Dr. Thara Vayali. Superfoods are everywhere. Eat this, for that… But how much? For how long? To what end? Find out the components of nourishment, and learn the merits of 10 superfoods. Join us to learn three tools that will help you shift from counting calories and nutrients, into feeling nourished and making the most out of your food choices. For more information and to register, click here.

Zumba Class – Apr. 20, 2016 @ 12-1pm (Location: Point Grey)

Zumba fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind dance/fitness program. Achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in an exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate. All UBC staff & faculty are welcome to register and attend this free Zumba class. For more information and to register, click here.

Ergo Your Office – Apr. 27, 2016 @ 12-1pm (Location: Point Grey)

Optimize your computer work environment to improve comfort and reduce the risk of injury. This one-hour tutorial combines a presentation and a practical session, giving you hands-on experience adjusting typical office equipment.

By the end of the tutorial you will know how to set up your chair, keyboard/mouse and monitor to promote neutral working postures. For more information and to register, click here.

UBC’s favourite staff and faculty healthy activity funding program is back! The Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) is a fund available to UBC departments and units in both Vancouver and the Okanagan campus to support grass-roots activities that promote wellbeing in the workplace.

The program provides start-up funds and support for health related, sustainable initiatives. Apply today to bring healthy activities and initiatives into your department. Applications close on April 15, 2016.

Sports Day returns on May 6, 2016! This free event is designed for staff and faculty to build teamwork and celebrate the end of the school year. With your team of 4-6 people, you will take part in four physical or intellectual challenges and enjoy a free lunch! Find out what’s new this year, and register now.

Are You Heart Healthy? Say yes with CAMMPUS: sign up for a free assessment – Available until May 31, 2016

UBC Health, Wellbeing and Benefits in the Department of Human Resources, in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, invite UBC faculty and staff extended health plan members to participate in a unique project called CAMMPUS (Cardiovascular Assessment and Medication Management by Pharmacists at the UBC Site). CAMMPUS features confidential, expertly guided services provided by the UBC Pharmacists Clinic (located at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vancouver campus) to help you find out your current level of heart health (and cardiovascular disease risk) and take steps to keep this risk as low as possible. The deadline to receive a free cardiovascular assessment has been extended until May 31, 2016. Be sure to book before the deadline!

I rarely set New Year’s resolutions. While I find that a new year is a great time to re-evaluate and reset my health behaviours, I am jaded by many years of watching my resolutions fall lonely by the wayside as the weeks move on.

Human motivation is an interesting phenomenon. Our behavior is commonly described as the result of internal (intrinsic) or external (extrinsic) factors that push and pull us towards a desired outcome. We are motivated to act based on elements such as rationality, drive, incentives, self-control, cognition and reinforcement, but are often passive participants – acting or not acting without taking the time to understand why.

This year, instead of making the New Year about resolutions or goals, I am making it about my motivations to achieve these goals. My hope is that by focusing my attention on how and why I am motivated to reach my goals, instead of on the goals themselves, that I might actually create some long term changes.

Ways To Stay Motivated

Be specific

Break down goals and use bite-sized steps to get there. This allows for celebration and achievement along the way and can help identify the deeper motivators behind the goal. “Be healthier” is a tough goal to achieve unless you identify what this means to you and why.

Share your goals

Share your motivation and goals with a partner or friend. They can check-in and help provide additional external motivation, reminders, (or nagging) when necessary. Posting your goals/motivators can also help keep you accountable to yourself. A friend of mine even framed his!

Put an end to it

Studies have shown that long range and open ended goal setting can be problematic, even contributing to symptoms of depression. By setting a realistic end date (I might suggest 4-8 weeks), your goal is measurable, tangible and ultimately more achievable.

Identify your motivators

Tease out the specific benefits that you are hoping to achieve through your goals. This can help provide a deeper connection to the goal and a more personal motivation for seeing it through. Why are you setting this goal and how would you like it to impact your life.

Relapse, re-set and repeat

Forgive yourself if things do not go perfectly. Seeing your goals through to completion might require you to take a break, re-set or re-evaluate. Use this time to review goals, steps and roadblocks and then begin again.

I invite you to welcome the year 2016 with open arms. Take this month to delve deeper into the motivations that live behind your resolutions as it may provide you with the added value to carry on.

UBC Events and Activities

Submit a photo of your efforts to “healthify” your department for a chance to win a free workshop. It can be as simple as encouraging colleagues to take the stairs, attending one of our health workshops, hosting a healthy workplace potluck lunch, or creating a health information board. Email your photos to Melissa.lafrance@ubc.ca by 4:30pm on October 9th. Three prizes to giveaway and open to all work locations!

Participate in the consultation process for the re-design of one of the largest public green spaces on campus, Library Garden. Help shape the design for the area, share what is important to you about this space as well as what opportunities you see for its future.

Join the campus for seven fun and unique events to kick off the 2015 UBC United Way Fundraising Campaign. Last year, UBC raised over $570,000 to help school-aged children succeed throughout the Lower Mainland.

A family event for all ages, the UBC Apple Festival celebrates one of British Columbia’s favourite fruits. The Apple Festival is a great opportunity to discover more about this delicious fruit and have a whole lot of fun doing it!

Fall MOGA (Yoga at MOA): Starts Oct 19

Relax and recharge with yoga in the Great Hall at the Museum of Anthropology! 3 classes offered per week: Monday 12:30pm-1:30pm, Wednesday 5:15pm-6:15pm, Thursday 5:15pm-6:16pm. Unlimited passes are $80 and 5 class passes ($45) and drop-ins are available ($12). Please contact Jill (jill.lindsay@ubc.ca) for more information of if you wish to purchases a pass.

Celebrate the 1922 student march that led to the build of the UBC Vancouver Campus in Point Grey. There are three ways you can participate: as an individual on an 8km run; as part of a four-person relay; or as a walker of the 3.5 km route. The start and finish is at the Great Trek Cairn and the route is along the scenic part of south Main Mall through Hawthorn Place. Register by Oct. 26.

Event highlights:

Post-event pancake lunch, smoothies and celebrations.

Family friendly; if you’re walking, feel free to bring kids along too.

UBC Thrive is a campus-wide initiative designed to promote building positive mental health for all students, faculty and staff. Thrive builds understanding, critical thinking and dialogue about mental health, and highlights UBC’s visions, strategies and accomplishments in the promotion of mental well-being. Join us by attending an event, participating in an activity or by trying a new skill.

The Turkey Trot is not your average run, but instead an experience. With great food, a family friendly course and wonderful volunteers, the Turkey Trot is a run to remember for the ages. The Granville Island Turkey Trot has also added a Kids Fun Run in addition to its traditional 10km race!

To help the campus community prepare for an earthquake, the University is participating in the province-wide ShakeOut BC earthquake preparedness exercise on October 15 at 10:15 a.m. when we’ll Drop, Cover and Hold on.

Practicing what to do in an earthquake helps you be ready to react quickly, as does knowing what to do afterwards.

The Festival is a celebration of story, told by authors, poets, spoken word performers, and graphic novelists. The Festival can reignite a teacher’s passion for teaching, mesmerize a teenager who rarely looks up from her phone or engage a child who is a reluctant reader.

Join UBC Recreation for a free week of programming and open houses at all of its sport facilities. Throughout the week, there will be free classes, including yoga, martial arts, aquatic fitness, dance, pilates, cycle fit, boot camps, and more.

Attend the installation of Professor Arvind Gupta as the 13th President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of British Columbia. Join UBC students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community for a full day of events on the Vancouver campus.

UBC is proud to welcome Vivek Shraya to UBC’s Vancouver campus on Sept 24 to screen his film, What I LOVE about being QUEER. Join a lively discussion about language, identity and being queer at UBC and in today’s society.

Share a sustainable, family style, long table dinner. White linens, tableware, glassware & candles will be set where old & new friends share in food, drink, & share stories. In collaboration between chefs from UBC & the AMS with some UBC Farm items. Purchase tickets here. View the Harvest Feast Menu

Thrive is both a mindset and a week-long series of events focused on building positive mental health for UBC students, faculty, and staff. The campus community is invited to partner in hosting an event or promoting the initiative. By partnering with Thrive, your group can contribute to this dialogue and support positive mental health at UBC. Are you a faculty member? You are invited to bring Thrive into the classroom.

The Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) is a fund available to UBC departments and units to support healthy activities in the workplace. The program provides start-up funds for kick starting health related, sustainable initiatives. Have a great idea but need some seed money to get it off the ground? Already running programming but want to take it to the next level? Apply for Healthy Workplace funding! New funding criteria. Deadline to apply is November 22, 2014.

UBC’s updated iPhone and Android app is available for download. Students, faculty, staff and prospective students can access up-to-date event information and news from around campus. The app can also help users find their way around using a list of locations and maps.

This free community event promotes the value of making ocean-friendly seafood choices.The Best Catch Sustainable Seafood Festival features live cooking demonstrations, food tastings, live music, and more!

This year, Richmond is pleased to present the 5th annual Culture Days, a Canada-wide program featuring free arts and culture activities that showcase creativity in the community. From backstage tours to pottery demos to hands-on Chinese calligraphy workshops, there is something for all ages and interests.